But Deve, The boards in the bed are different widths and the T&G are all the same. So either the seams in the boards are going to be exposed and/or the metal strips will be running down the middle of a board or you'll have a bolt close to the edge of a board.
For a functional easy fix just get 2 4x8x3/4" sheets of T&G plywood decking then you can at least drill and use the original bolt hole spacing with no metal strips needed.
To 'preserve' the plywood in my ToyGMC short bed I mixed up a gallon of 2 parts used motor oil, 2 parts deck oil and 1 part wood stain. Coated all sides and let it soak in over night then recoated everything. Works great! but this is my garbage hauler...
Though a table saw and router is all you need to make the proper boards out of what ever species one chooses.
